The expansion of the Hertfordshire facility will create 50 new jobs and underlines the chocolatier’s “commitment to the British manufacturing industry”.
The investment programme will also see Hotel Chocolat launch 25 new stores across the UK next year, with sites set to open in cities such as Belfast, Glasgow and market towns including Ilkley and Morpeth, alongside significantly upsizing in existing localities like Nottingham and Chichester.
A planned store in Manchester will be Hotel Chocolat’s biggest-ever outlet, with more 9,000 square feet across three floors. The new high street stores will create 200 new roles.
Commenting on the announcement, the company’s CEO and co-founder Angus Thirlwell said: “The UK is the home of the Hotel Chocolat brand and we’re committed to investing in the UK high street and British manufacturing. Demand for our products is greater than ever and we’re opening stores across the UK allowing us to bring our ‘more cocoa, less sugar’ products to those that love them and bringing our incredible brand experience to life.”
Mars acquisition
Hotel Chocolat was acquired by Mars in November 2023 in a deal worth £534m, and Thirlwell believes the two firms remained aligned in terms of their “cultural values”.
“When we agreed to be majority-acquired by Mars, we stated that there would be an unwavering commitment to our home in the UK both on the high street and investing in a manufacturing excellence in Britain,” he added.
“Today’s announcement underlines that commitment and shows that Hotel Chocolat is one of Britain’s best loved brands.”
Thirlwell also confirmed that the brand will continue to invest in its ethical and sustainability agenda.
“Our ongoing support to cacao farmers to employ methods that are both rewarding for them and their families and that have a positive impact on biodiversity and soil health is incredibly important to us,” he said.
“We need to ensure the longevity of this industry and the way to do that is to create a sustainable model that benefits farmers and nature. We learned the direct way about this by operating our own cacao farm in Saint Lucia for the last 17 years, all the time experimenting to find a better way.”
In other news, the president of a Mexican seafood trade body, Minerva Pérez Castro, was shot dead after calling out illegal fishing in the country.